Health and Long Life: The Chinese Way

Health and Long Life: The Chinese Way

by Livia Kohn in co-operation with Stephen Jackowicz.
ISBN-10 1931483035
ISBN-13 9781931483032
viii+232 pages.
Paperback. US$24.95     Add to Cart
Table of Contents
Read the introduction (PDF format)

For over 2,000 years, the Chinese have been experts at maintaining health and extending longevity. Their methods, documented in ancient manuscripts, medical textbooks, and selfcultivation manuals, form a multi-layered yet integrated system of personalized health care that is of increasing value in the West as our population ages and technology increases the speed and stresses of our life.

A powerful presentation of Chinese health practices, this unique work brings together the wide variety of Chinese medical and spiritual methods in one integrated volume. It provides not only a basic description, but also discusses relationship of Chinese healing to contemporary Western science and religious Daoism.

Health and Long Life begins with a survey of the basic concepts of Chinese medicine, followed by a presentation of clinical and contemporary practice in various countries. A third part deals with ways of balancing qi, such as Feng Shui, diets, and sexual practices, while the last section presents a well-informed discussion of self-cultivation methods. Chapters are short and include suggestd further readings. The text is easy to read, contains numerous charts and illustrations, and is enriched by various exercises that encourage readers to examine certain topics in more detail and reflect on their own practices and attitudes. Health and Long Life is ideal for anyone interested in Chinese healing and self-cultivation, providing a comprehensive understanding of the practices in both modern and traditional terms. Clearly structured and simply presented, it is also the perfect textbook in classes on Chinese medicine, religion, and culture. Anyone interested to learn about the body and health from an alternative perspective will find a treasure trove and learn numerous methods to achieve balance and harmony into high old age.

Readers have high praise for Health and Long Life:

"This work is brilliant. Besides colleges using it as a textbook, it is very valuable for massage students, acupucture students as well as for all those interested in East Asian thought." -- Kate Townsend (Natural Healing Therapies)

"This is a very good book, ambitious in scope, but with enough details to keep it informative and interesting. It goes far beyond its competitors in scope and scholarship and in that it integrates the different dimensions of Chinese medicine." -- Michael Winn (Healing Dao)

"The book excels at organizing and simplifying a great deal of material that is strange to Western ears. I especially like the exercises. They challenge the student to read more actively. It is also helpful in teaching us how to apply these things in our everyday lifestyles, encouraging a more balanced way of living." -- Bede Bidlack (Stillmountain Tai Chi Center)

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations v
Dynastic Chart vi
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction 1
PART ONE: FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS
1. Dao and Qi
9
2. Yin-Yang and the Five Phases
19
3. Visions of the Body
31
4. Understanding the Mind
41
5. The Meridian System 51
PART TWO: CLINICAL PRACTICE
6. Methods of Diagnosis
63
7. The Practice of Acupuncture
75
8. Forms of Massage
87
9. Medicine in China Today
97
10. Other East Asian Countries 107
11. Acupuncture in America 117
PART THREE: INTERACTIVE QI-CONTROL
12. Fengshui
127
13. Food Cures and Diets
137
14. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia
149
15. Sexual Practices 161
PART FOUR: SELF-CULTIVATION
16. Breathing and Gymnastics
171
17. Qigong
181
18. Taiji Quan and Martial Arts 191
19. Meditation 202
20. From Inner Alchemy to Healing Dao 211
Conclusion 221
Index 227
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